Just diagnosed and need BiPap machine?

Had my first sleep study on Thursday night. Doctor wrote me today that my AHI is 126 (yes, that's correct-olympic class sleep apnea). have been reading these boards but find no comments about folks using a BiPap machine. What do I need to know thats special about this device before I meet with DME rep?

Many thanks in advance,
Rotten Sleeper in Nashville

HockeyGirl22 wrote:Had my first sleep study on Thursday night. Doctor wrote me today that my AHI is 126 (yes, that's correct-olympic class sleep apnea). have been reading these boards but find no comments about folks using a BiPap machine. What do I need to know thats special about this device before I meet with DME rep?

Many thanks in advance,
Rotten Sleeper in Nashville

look for 'bilevel' tons of people have 'em.

what makes you think you'll need one?

Many people here have BiPAP/Bilevel machines. They handle special and complex apenas. Most cases do not need them, even for apnea as severe as yours.

Most important is to avoid getting a brick, a non-full data capable machine.

If you post your study results in detail we will be better able to understand what you need to manage your apnea.

Oh. And welcome to the forum.

severity of apnea has *NOTHING* to do with what treatment is needed.

I was given a Bipap/Bilevel because at my study a few years ago. I was having issues with the exhale and the comfort level. So glad I was able to get this type because it allowed me to easily adapt to the machine. I was diagonosed at 36 and now I am normally under 1 every night. Good Luck it has been life changing for me.

Bipap is a trademark name for a Respironics brand machine that will deliver 2 pressures separately. One for inhale and one for exhale and they can be markedly different.
We call those machines bilevel machines because of the 2 distinct pressure availability.
ResMed also has bilevel machines but they aren't called "bipap".

Bipap has become sort of a generic term but in reality it's a model name for a Respironics machine.
There are many various models in the bilevel machines. Some simple bilevel making them nothing more than a glorified cpap and others that are much more complicated and will actually breathe for you if you don't breathe.

Regular cpap/apap machines can only go to 20 cm.
Bilevel machines can go to 25...and there is even one that can go to 30.

There are a lot of forum members here who use some sort of bilevel machine. I use one myself.

palerider wrote:

HockeyGirl22 wrote:Had my first sleep study on Thursday night. Doctor wrote me today that my AHI is 126 (yes, that's correct-olympic class sleep apnea). have been reading these boards but find no comments about folks using a BiPap machine. What do I need to know thats special about this device before I meet with DME rep?

Many thanks in advance,
Rotten Sleeper in Nashville

look for 'bilevel' tons of people have 'em.

what makes you think you'll need one?

the doctor's response said he wanted me on a bipap machine. evidently i have a narrow airway ☹. Don't know if that plays into his recommendation or not.

There's no tight correlation between "severity" and the pressure, but there is a loose one. For instance somebody with very mild SDB is not likely to need a pressure as high as 17, and somebody with very severe SDB is not likely to require a pressure as low as 6.

[quote="Pugsy"]Bipap is a trademark name for a Respironics brand machine that will deliver 2 pressures separately. One for inhale and one for exhale and they can be markedly different.
We call those machines bilevel machines because of the 2 distinct pressure availability.
ResMed also has bilevel machines but they aren't called "bipap".

Bipap has become sort of a generic term but in reality it's a model name for a Respironics machine.
There are many various models in the bilevel machines. Some simple bilevel making them nothing more than a glorified cpap and others that are much more complicated and will actually breathe for you if you don't breathe.

Regular cpap/apap machines can only go to 20 cm.
Bilevel machines can go to 25...and there is even one that can go to 30.

There are a lot of forum members here who use some sort of bilevel machine. I use one myself.[/quote]


This is great information to have before meeting with the DME rep. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I had read on this forum about the need to avoid the "brick" and get a machine that can provide diagnostics, etc.

Thanks!

The great thing about bilevel machines is that there aren't any brick bilevel machines...at least with the 2 main brands of bilevel macines...ResMed and Respironics.
It's been probably 7 years since there was a bilevel brick out there. Chance of your getting a machine discontinued 7 years ago are very slim.

Your doctor probably has his reasons for wanting bilevel...it's actually in your best interest anyway. Opens up more options to help with therapy should you have problems or some complicating factors pop up.

HockeyGirl22 wrote:

palerider wrote:

HockeyGirl22 wrote:Had my first sleep study on Thursday night. Doctor wrote me today that my AHI is 126 (yes, that's correct-olympic class sleep apnea). have been reading these boards but find no comments about folks using a BiPap machine. What do I need to know thats special about this device before I meet with DME rep?

Many thanks in advance,
Rotten Sleeper in Nashville

look for 'bilevel' tons of people have 'em.

what makes you think you'll need one?

the doctor's response said he wanted me on a bipap machine. evidently i have a narrow airway ☹. Don't know if that plays into his recommendation or not.

you should find out why. narrow airways have nothing to do with it. your doctor may just be trying to run up the bill.

So 120 times per hour is a drop more than twice per minute. Obviously, they are of a duration of less than half a minute. The events might be very short, but your sleep is extremely fragmented and you are constantly jolted by multiple arousals. You really need to start therapy APSP if you have not already.

Also, a case this severe is probably also "complicated." That is, you may be having a mixture of central and obstructive events. For that, usually bi-level is called for. Also, it's not unlikely that you'll need a machine that can go higher than 20. Only bi-level machines do that.

HockeyGirl22 wrote:

palerider wrote: what makes you think you'll need one?

the doctor's response said he wanted me on a bipap machine. evidently i have a narrow airway ☹. Don't know if that plays into his recommendation or not.

When I was 19, I was diagnosed with a narrow airway. The doctor said it was 30% smaller than normal for my size. I have no idea how he determined that number. I didn't question it since I have always had trouble swallowing pills (they stick to my throat, and I have to wait until they dissolve enough to go down, it hurts. I have to grease the larger pills). I also choke easily. I have never passed an airflow test with a normal score. Even while medicated for my asthma and not showing any symptoms, I am nowhere near normal in air capacity. I have been accused of not trying. And doctors are totally surprised that their medications have me feeling better, yet not scoring much better on that test.

As for my sleep study, I did a split study. They stopped the diagnosis phase after 2 1/2 hours, and I never reached deep sleep or REM sleep. I slept on my back some, but not as much as at home. I had a 79 ahi. I am sure that with a full night sleep, my ahi would have much higher. While I am curious to know, I am also happy that I only had to do one night, and it was a really good night.

That said, I have an apap machine with a range of 11-17. Most of the night is between 11 and 13, with a few spikes to 15, and maybe a spike or two to 17. As I sleep on my back, the pressure climbs, I get uncomfortable, and I roll back onto my side. So, the machine actually helps me stay off my back while preventing the events that would have happened. I have been using my apap for almost 5 years now, and my ahi is almost always below 1.5 and frequently below 1. I think it has gone above 5 maybe 4 or 5 times.

So, with a narrow airway (and obvious problems from that narrow airway) as well as severe sleep apnea; I have never needed a bipap machine. And my pressure needs are really in the middle range.